West Elm kicks off month of new store openings at The Summit

Home furnishings retailer West Elm has opened its first Alabama store at The Summit in Birmingham. (Dawn Kent Azok/dazok@al.com)

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Home furnishings store West Elm
opened its new location at The Summit shopping center in Birmingham today, and several other retailers are
expected to follow in the coming weeks.

The Summit store marks West Elm's entry into Alabama. The
company sells contemporary furniture, home decor and housewares and is
occupying 8,000 square feet in the former American Eagle space next to Urban
Outfitters.

West Elm is a subsidiary of Williams-Sonoma, which also owns
Pottery Barn. The Birmingham store also features local handcrafted products, including furniture, lighting, leather goods and wall art.

Madewell is a women's brand launched by J. Crew in 2006. It
is predominantly known for its jeans but also sells other denim and casual
fashions.

The 3,000-square-foot Madewell store will be located next to
lululemon athletica.

C. Wonder is a women's clothing, decor and accessories
chain. The company was founded in 2011 by Christopher Burch, the ex-husband of
fashion designer Tory Burch.

Despite luxury appointments, C. Wonder's goods are priced
moderately, with the average price at less than $50. Trade publications have
noted the stores' dressing rooms, which are outfitted with touch-screen
controls for lighting and music and other features typically found in high-end
boutiques.

Paper Source sells stationery, invitations, announcements
and other paper goods and gifts. The company has more than 50 locations
nationwide.

Another new retailer at The Summit is Kate Spade, which opened its first Alabama store there in September but will hold its grand opening event on Oct. 17.